


The Mystery Girl

by HolbyFangirl



Category: Casualty (TV)
Genre: Abuse, Adoption, Anxiety, Child Abuse, Hurt/Comfort, Medical Procedures, Mental Instability, Multi, Muteness, Orphanage, Other, Panic Attacks, Sickfic, Surgery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-27
Updated: 2018-07-05
Packaged: 2019-04-28 10:23:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 5,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14447268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HolbyFangirl/pseuds/HolbyFangirl
Summary: When Cal and Ethan find a young teen in a park, injured and starved, what will happen when Cal forms a bond with her?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> If you have any suggestions for what should happen next, please comment below. I will credit you.
> 
> I am not a medical expert, just a fan of Casualty. If anything seems unrealistic, please do not criticize me. I write things based off the show.

"You can't catch me, Cal!"  
Cal and Ethan had decided to take a little trip to the park in the neighborhood, to get their minds off work. The ED had been unusually busy the past few days and they needed to relax and have some fun.  
"Hold up, Ethan, need to catch my breath," Cal huffed out.  
The brothers were running around, chasing each other. Ethan was way ahead of his older brother, but stopped to let him catch up. After all, Ethan was a little more athletic than Cal.  
As Cal walked down the path to Ethan, he took in his surroundings. Trees were bare, as it was the middle of winter. The sky was gray, with a few dark clouds. Red and yellow leaves covered the ground below.  
Then, out of the corner of his eye, Cal noticed a figure lying on the ground next to a tree. He stepped a bit closer to see that it was a girl.  
"Ethan, come quick!"  
Cal ran to the girl, Ethan following him.   
She appeared to be about 16 or 17, with messy brown hair and dirty, worn out clothes that were a bit on the large side. She was pale with small wounds to her face. Her right eye was slightly swollen. Cal looked at the rest of her. He saw that her ankle looked twisted with bruises all around it.  
"Hello? Can you hear me?" Cal asked, trying to get her attention. The girl didn't respond. "I don't think she's conscious, Ethan. Call an ambulance."  
Ethan grabbed his phone while Cal examined the girl. He noticed how thin she was, as her ribs were easily seen whrn he lifted her shirt, that was not at all appropriate for the hasrh, freezing weather.   
10 minutes later, the paramedics arrived. Iain and Dixie hopped out of the ambulance and ran over to the boys, carrying medical equipment.   
"Cal? Ethan? What's going on?" Dixie asked.  
"We don't exactly know," Ethan replied. "Cal found her just lying here. She's been unconscious the entire time. We haven't found any ID either."  
Iain kneeled down to get a closer look "She seems young. I wonder what happened, she looks beat up."  
Whild he examined her, Cal got worried that she was assaulted by someone. He would just have to wait until they got to the hospital to find out how badly she was injured....


	2. Chapter 2

When they got the girl in the ambulance, Cal rode in it with the paramedics, while Ethan followed behind.  
"She might have a head injury. Left pupil is a bit sluggish." Iain explained. Obviously, being an ER doctor, Cal knew the seriousness of a head injury.  
The girl now had a neck collar, and and oxygen mask over her face. She was still unconscious as Cal looked at her. She had long, wavy brown hair. Her face had small wounds scattered throughout. She definitely hadn't had a proper bath or meal in a while. Her t shirt was a bit large on her, and extremely worn out. Her jeans had holes in them, which didn't look like they were made to have them. Her tennis shoes were muddy and falling apart. How long was she living like this?  
When they got to the hospital, Cal hopped out and followed the paramedics inside. Connie, Lily, and Rita greeted them.  
"Right, this is... well, we don't have a name yet, or any information about her. She was found unconscious at the scene, major head injury, labored breathing, multiple injuries throughout. Possible broken ankle and left pupil is a bit sluggish. Seems underweight as well." Iain explained to the doctors.   
When they got into resus, the girl was lifted onto the bed. Connie started listening to her chest.  
"Alright, she definitely has a pneumothorax, so let's get a chest drain in right away. Lily, can you arrange for a CT and X ray? " Connie asked.  
"Of course, " the young doctor replied.  
Cal approached the bed slowly, still taking in the whole ordeal.   
"Connie, what do you think happened?" Cal asked.  
"It's hard to say. She could've been abused or attacked. When she wakes up we'll find out what's going on."

3 hours later--

Cal stayed with the girl the entire time, waiting for her to come around. When he heard groaning, he looked up, to see her moving slightly.   
"Connie, she's waking up!"   
Connie rushed in to see the girl opening her eyes. She looked terrified.   
"Hey sweetie, it's alright. Can you tell us your name?" Connie asked quietly.   
The girl didn't make eye contact, and her breathing increased.  
"Hey hey hey, it's okay. We're not going to hurt you. We just need to know who you are." Cal told her.  
The girl immediately tried to sit up, but Cal pushed her back. He could she she was terrified.   
"Alright, let's give her some space, " Connie said. "Then we'll take her up to CT when she's calm."  
Cal walked away, looking back at her when he left the room. If someone did this to her, why?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, please leave suggestions!


	3. Chapter 3

Cal walked back in the room 10 minutes later to check up on his young patient. She was sedated, just enough to relax her.  
"How are we feeling? Better?" Cal asked. The girl didn't respond. She still looked a bit scared.  
"Can you at least tell me your name? I wouldmlike to know who I'm talking to, if that's alright,"  
The girl made eye contact for a split second, but looked away immediately after. Cal could tell something had happened to her to cause her to act this way.   
He left the room to find Ethan, but he wasn't there.   
"Rita, have you seen Ethan? I can't find him."  
The nurse stopped what she was doing and replied "He said he was on his lunch break. He might have left for a bit."  
"Thanks."

About 30 minutes later, Ethan returned, this time holding a very dirty, worn out bag. Cal noticed.  
"Where have you been?" Cal asked. "I've been looking for you. "  
"Sorry, I decided to go back to where the girl was found. Just to see if there was anything else there that could tell us more. I found this lying about 20 feet from where she was lying. "  
"What's inside? "  
"Well, just some information about her," Ethan told Cal. "There's some clothing that looks old and beaten up, a couple books, and this."  
He held up an ID card that looked like it was from a school. On it was a picture of the girl and her name.  
"Jennifer Alexander." Cal said out loud. "We should contact the school. See if they know anything."  
"There's one more thing. This school isn't even in the UK. The name of the school is Einstein High. I looked it up. It's from Arizona. "  
"Then how did she end up here?" Cal asked himself. "This is just insane."

Cal went back to the room to see Jennifer, and maybe get some answers finally.   
"Is your name Jennifer?" he asked. The girl looked up surprised, and then nodded slightly.   
"We found your bag in the park. With your school ID. You're from Arizona aren't you? How did you end up here?"  
The girl had a single tear dripp down her cheek. She looked frightened and upset.   
"It's alright, just take your time. But we need to get you up to CT now. Just to check you for any injuries. Especially a head injury."

When the CT was over and Jennifer was back in resus, Cal explained her inuuries to her.  
"You have a pretty bad concussion, but other than that, your head seems fine. Although you do seem to have bruising to your bowel, so we need to keep a close eye on it."  
The girl didn't respond.   
"Don't worry, we'll fix everything. You're going to be just fine here."


	4. Chapter 4

The girl remained in the ED for several hours. Cal repeatedly checked up on her, and she seemed to be calming down. But still not speaking to anyone.  
"Jennifer? The police would like to speak to you, if that's alright. They just need to ask some questions. " Cal explained.  
A police officer walked in. She was middle aged, with blond hair. "Hello, Jennifer, can you tell me what happened? "  
Jennifer was silent.  
"It's okay, just take your time. Did someone do this to you? Did someone hurt you?"  
Tears started forming out of the battered teen's eyes. The cop knew she was afraid, and by her response, someone had most likely attacked her.  
"It's alright, Jennifer. We just need to know. We want to make sure you're safe," the cop said. "I think we're done here. Thanks Jennifer."  
The cop walked back out to Cal. "Judging by her response, I think someone might have attacked her." Cal was shocked.  
"Well, what do we do now?" he asked.  
"She needs be be treated, and probably be taken into police custody. She might be taken to a foster home until we find out where she belongs."  
"And what if she can't return for some reason?"  
"She'll then go to an orphanage to hopefully get adopted, but at her age, she might not have a good chancd of that happening."  
Cal was saddened. She would be affected by this forever, and if she can't go home, she'll have no family to fall back on.

"Cal, I just contacted the school. It's not looking good."  
Ethan and Cal walked into the staff room to discuss Jennifer.   
"What did you find out?" Cal asked his younger brother.   
"They said that she's had a history of odd behavior for quite a while. They've discussed it with several people, and found out she's being abused. By her entire family."  
"Oh god. Then how did she end up here? "  
"They think her family took a trip up here and brought her along, just to leave her here."  
"Well, I just spoke to the police," Cal said. "They said if she can't return home, for whatever reason, she's going to an orphanage. But she'll likely never be adopted because of her age."  
"You're right. We need to do something."


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave some comments! I need suggestions and just want to know how you like it. It would make my day!

"Alright Jennifer, we need to take you to X ray to get that ankle looked at. It doesn't appear swollen, but it does look pretty twisted up." Cal winced as he looked at the ankle. His immediate thought was that is was badly fractured, but with it not being swollen, it had probably been fractured ages ago and never taken care of. He hoped that it would be somewhat fixable.   
"Ethan, we need to talk." Cal said as he saw his brother in the staff room.   
"About what? Jennifer?" The younger brother replied.  
"Yeah, her ankle looked twisted, but it wasn't swollen. It's possible that it was fractured a while back, and wasn't taken care of. She's also extremely underweight and lethargic. There's no way she can go to an orphanage like that, but she will probably be discharged tonight. Social service workers said she will go there immediately after she's discharged."   
Ethan looked worried. "Cal, there isn't much we can do about that. And why are you so obsessed with this girl? She's just another patient."  
"I don't know, Ethan. But when I look at her, I think of Matilda. Abandoned by her mother probably. I already lost Matilda, and I don't want to lose Jennifer as well. She's fragile, and an orphanage isn't the place for her to be right now. She'll just get worse there'"Cal explained. "Maybe I can talk to social services and see if we could possibly take her in tonight? Just so she'll be with doctors who can properly look after her."  
"We can't just take in a patient! We don't even know exactly what happened to her! But you're right. An orphanage is not right for her when she's this ill."  
Ethan agreed. Jennifer needed someone who could provide proper medical care if she got worse. 

Cal got the X ray results back, and it wasn't good. Just like he expected, her ankle had a fracture that healed incorrectly. He decided to talk to Connie to see if he and his brother could taker her in overnight.  
"Miss Beauchamp, can I have a quick word?" Cal asked.  
"What is this about? " The clinical lead replied.   
"My patient, Jennifer, the girl who was brought in earlier today."  
"What about her?"  
"Social services told me that when she is discharged, she'll be going to an orphanage. I just don't think that's where she should be. She's fragile, very fragile. Is there any way we could agree them to let Ethan and I take her in, just for tonight? She's just not ready for that environment quite yet."  
"I agree, Cal. I was just looking at her records, and she can actually be discharged now. Her pain has decreased quite a bit, and she's not as lethargic as when she came in earlier today. I'll give them a call, let them know what's going on. I'll try to talk them into it, alright? "  
"Thanks. I appreciate it. "

"Cal? I just got off the phone with social services. They said yes." Connie walked into the staff room where the brothers were sitting together.   
"Really? Oh, thank god! " Cal exclaimed. Ethan smiled as well.  
"It's only 3:30, so if you would like, you could take her home now, get her settled in." Connie explained.   
"Cal, you can take her. My shift isn't over yet until 7, but you go ahead. I'll take a cab back." Ethan said.  
"Thanks, brother."

"Jennifer, good news and bad news. Bad news first, your ankle is pretty bad. It shows a fracture that healed up incorrectly. It will require surgery, but we won't worry about that right now. You're not quite ready for an operation like that. But for the good news, we talked to social services, and you won't be going to the orphanage. Instead, my brother, Dr. Hardy, and I will take you home with us. We can look after you proper. You're being discharged now, so off we go then. I'll get a wheelchair and help you in the car, alright?"  
Jennifer nodded. It was going to be an interesting night.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm putting together a contest soon! Keep checking back for updates!

Cal and Ethan helped their patient into the car for Cal to take her home. She was pretty drugged up, but still alert enough to seem concerned.   
"Everything alright? " Cal asked. Jennifer didn't respond. She just had a blank stare.  
"Alright Cal, see you tonight. I'll be home around 8:00." Ethan said.  
"Alright, bye." Cal responded. 

The car ride home was very quiet. As Cal drove, he looked back every once in a while to see how Jennifer was doing. He noticed that she seemed confused, probably because she was in a different country with a doctor who just randomly decided to take her home. He felt concerned that she wouldn't tell him what had happened to cause her to be so anxious and frightened by everyone. 

When they got home, Cal put Jennifer in the wheelchair he brought home and wheeled her inside the flat. His first instinct was to get her something to drink since she was still dehydrated, but he knew with her being drugged up, she would probably vomit it back up. For now, he decided to let her sleep. 

"Hey, Jennifer, let's get you up on the couch, and you can take a nap, huh?" Cal said quietly, so he wouldn't scare her too much. He gently lifted her off the chair and onto the couch, helping her into a lying position. He grabbed a pillow off the nearby chair and set it under her head. "Alright now, try to rest. It's been a long day, hasn't it? "

Ethan arrived home at 8:30 that night. When he opened the door, he noticed music was playing softly in the living room. He walked in to see Cal on the chair and Jennifer sound asleep on the couch. "What's going on? Is she asleep already?" He asked.  
"Yeah, it actually took a while. She vomited up bile a couple times, probably just a reaction to all the drugs. I figured some music would calm her down, and it worked. Poor thing, she's just had a rough day."  
"More like a rough life," Ethan joked. "What are you going to do tomorrow? Have you discussed anything with social services about what's going to happen?"  
"Yeah, I called tyem about an hour ago. They said they want her looked over one last time before they pick her up tomorrow afternoon." Cal looked worried.  
"What's wrong," Ethan replied as he saw his brother's face. "You're getting attached to her, aren't you?"  
"Look, she just reminds me of Matilda. I realized with that sweet baby girl that I'm ready to be a father. I promised Jennifer that I wouldn't let anything happen to her. I don't want to be another bad person in her life. She might have been abused for all we know."  
"I understand, Cal, but she needs a lot of help. Therapy, counseling, even a surgery sometime in the future. If you let me help you, you might be able to do this. Just consider it."


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be posting about the contest soon! I finally have it figured out, and anyone can enter!  
> Again, suggestions are very much needed right now. Anything helps.

"Jennifer, time to wake up."  
Cal gently rubbed Jennifer's back to wake her up. She responded pretty quickly.   
"Good morning. You're coming back to the hospital with Ethan and I, just to get you checked over one last time. Then you're off to the orphanage, I guess."

When they got to the hospital, the brothers set her in the wheelchair and brought her inside. Cal watched her closely and saw she was slightly panicked over the sights, even though she was there almost all day yesterday. They brought her to cubicles and Connie noticed.   
"Good morning, I see someone looks better!"  
"Yeah, she is," Cal said. "She had a mostly good night. Got sick a couple times, had trouble falling asleep, but we made it."  
"Although she still hasn't said a word," Ethan explained. "It's just a bit concerning."  
"Well, despite that, she looks fine, but I'll have a quick check over just to be safe." Connie said.

A couple hours later, two men from social services showed up. They looked around and found Dr. Knight at the counter.   
"Excuse me, we're here to pick up a patient." One said.  
Cal looked up. "Jennifer?" he asked.  
"Yes, she's going to the orphanage now." The other said.  
"Just follow me." Cal said.

Both Cal and Ethan watched as Jennifer was wheeled away into a car. She looked back, scared and confused.   
"Don't worry Cal, she'll be fine. You're going to speak to the adoption services later to be approved, hopefully."  
Cal still looked worried. "I might not be approved, though. They might think that because I made some mistakes with Matilda, or that I'm not even married or dating anyone right now, I don't know. What if I'm not good enough for them?"  
"You'll be fine. You've already opened your heart to this girl, that's something. You care about her, and that's what matters."

Right after work, Cal and Ethan drove to the orphanage to speak to someone about adoption. When they pulled up, Cal noticed that while it was a nice, clean looking place, Jennifer might not feel comfortable there. As they walked in, a lady was walking down the hall towards them.  
"Hello, I'm Jess Adams, head here. How can I help you?"  
"Yes, umm..." Cal paused. "Who do we speak to about adoption? "  
"That would be me, just follow me to my office."

"So, you're looking to adopt? Lucky for you, we have many little boys and girls here looking for a family."  
"About that," Cal said. "My brother and I work at Holby City Hospital, in the emergency department. We treated a girl yesterday, and she was brought here earlier this morning. I.... want to adopt her."  
"Oh, you must be talking about Jennifer. Yes, she's been isolating herself in her dorm. Poor thing is just terrified."  
"That's why we're here. I want to adopt her. Just so I know she's with a safe guardian." Cal explained.   
"Oh, you must be the doctor that treated her. Normally, we run various checks to make sure every child is adopted in the best possible home for them. But since you have already shown you have a stable job, suitable living environment, and are responsible enough to look after her, I think we can skip these checks."  
"Really? I thought it was mandatory. You don't mind that he's single and lives with his brother? " Ethan asked.  
"Not at all. Caleb here has shown concern for this girl, and that is what matters deeply to us. He obviously already loves her."

The brothers droce home last night, excited for their future. They just hoped it would work out....


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Contest ends June 1st, so hurry up and enter! The more you enter, the better chance you have at winning'

It had been a few days since Cal was approved to adopt Jennifer. Both boys worked hard to get their flat ready for her. They started out by fixing up the spare bedroom and setting up a mattress, just temporary until they could get her a bed. The flat was thoroughly cleaned and tidied up. They wanted to prove that this was a suitable home for the once abused girl.

"Ethan, what time did you say they would arrive?" Cal asked. He was referring to the orphanage, who would be dropping her off and also check to see if the home was a proper place for Jennifer.   
"I believe around 2:00, it's only 1:30. We still have time."  
"Good. I still need to prepare myself." Cal seemed anxious.   
"Remember she's not officially moving in with us. They need to see how she gets along and if this is a proper place for her in the long run."

About 30 minutes later, the doorbell went off. They opened the door to see a middle aged man, and right next to him in a wheelchair was Jennifer.   
"Hello, you must be Caleb Knight?"  
"Yes, sir." He answered the man.  
"I have been told you two have already met, so no introduction is needed."  
"Yes. Everything is ready for you Jennifer." Cal looked down and smiled at her.  
"I'll be back in two weeks time, just to see how everything is going. If it's going well, it will be official."

They wheeled Jennifer in and set her by the couch.  
"Hello, Jennifer. Welcome to your new home!" Ethan told her. She looked up and looked at her new surroundings. Everything was neat and tidy.   
"Let's go see your bedroom, shall we?" Cal asked.  
They brought her to her room. The mattress was set up, with a blanket and pillow. She had a dresser and the closet was completely empty.   
"We'll take you shopping here in the next few days. Clothes, decorations, everything you need." Cal explained. 

"Cal, I'm going to take a walk before dinner. What are we doing, by the way?" Ethan asked as he put on his jacket.  
"Takeout, probably. I'm not sure what Jennifer will eat. She still seems a bit nervous."  
"Yeah, she still hasn't spoken at all to anyone. Hopefully she'll warm up to us." Ethan said as he walked out the door.

As Ethan strolled through the path, he came across the place Jennifer was found. He stopped to look at it, then noticed an item next to the tree. As he walked up to it, he realized it was a small coin purse. He opened it up, expecting nothing. But it was full of coins and a slip of paper. The writing was old a faded, but still legible. It said-

"My name is Jennifer. I have selective mutism."

Ethan was shocked. "Selective mutism? That makes sense. No wonder...." Ethan said to himself.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The contest is over. Unfortunately, I am not sure who entered. I contacted people, but never got a reply fro, anyone confirming their entry. Due to that, no winner has been selected. I will try to start the contest up again later this year, probably in November.

Ethan opened the door and found Cal and Jennifer on the couch eating pizza. Jennifer looked more comfortable, but still a bit tense. Now he knew why. There was more than just the abuse.

"Eth, come eat. We're just watching Harry Potter, the pizza is still hot." Cal said, noticing Ethan walk in.  
"Yeah, in a bit. I just need to rest." Ethan replied. Cal noticed he looked a bit worried. Something must be wrong, he thought.   
"You alright, mate? Look a bit worried there." The older brother asked.  
"Yeah, just have things on my mind."

Ethan came back about ten minutes later, and he noticed Jennifer was gone. "Where'd she go?" he asked.  
"Bed. She was pretty tired. By the way, we need to start thinking about that surgery for her ankle. She was in a bit of pain." Cal told his brother.  
"I know. Cal, I think I found the reason she isn't speaking."  
"I know, Eth. She was abused. She's probably just terrified of speaking right now because of the trauma. She'll be fine."  
"No, I found another reason."  
Cal looked confused. "What do you mean? She was abused, Ethan. By her family. What other thing could possibly stop her from talking to us?"  
Ethan handed him the note from his pocket. "I found this just now. It was near where we first found her.  
Cal read the note. "Selective Mutism? How could she..."  
"I don't know, Cal. I've never heard of it."  
"Me neither. We need to look it up."

Cal and Ethan spent the next hour researching the the new discovery of Cal's new daughter. They discovered a whole new side to the story.

The next morning, the brothers took Jennifer to work with them. They knew she probably wouldn't feel comfortable alone in a strange house. When they got into the ED, they took her straight to the staff room. Then they walked back out to speak to the others about Jennifer and her condition. 

"Selective Mutism would explain the lack of communication. It's a severe anxiety disorder. Plus all her symptoms add up. Mute, no eye contact, constantly tense and worried. I'm surprised she hasn't had any panic attacks." Connie looked through the girls notes. She was impressed that nobody had realized this sooner.  
"So what do we do now? I mean, there has to be some sort of treatment." Cal asked.  
"Well, of course, but due to the abuse, it's possible she could have developed PTSD as well. It would be hard to distinguish whether a symptom is her anxiety or PTSD." Connie looked worried. "Have you spoke to her about it?"  
"No, we only discovered last night. I found a note in the park, not too far from where we found her." Ethan explained.   
"Why don't you bring her into my office later. We'll discuss it then." Connie told them.

A few hours later, Cal rolled Jennifer into Connie's office, meeting her and Ethan.  
"Hi Jennifer. How are you feeling?" Connie asked. Jennifer didn't respond.   
"It's alright Jennifer, we just want to talk to you. Connie won't hurt you. I promise." Cal whispered.   
"Jennifer, is it difficult for you to speak? Do you feel anxious or scared at all?" Ethan asked. Jennifer nodded slightly, still looking down.  
"It's okay, nobody here is going to force you to speak if you aren't ready. But we did find out about your Selective Mutism." Connie explained softly.   
Jennifer looked up, looking slightly shocked.   
"Ethan found this note at the park yesterday. It belongs to you, doesn't it?" Cal asked. Once again, the girl nodded.   
"Well now we know. We'll get you help. And don't worry, we'll speak to the rest of the staff here. We'll work together to make sure you're comfortable. Nobody will ever force you to do something if you feel uncomfortable." Connie said.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a kudos and a comment!

It was a few months later, and Jennifer had settled in her new home. Cal and Ethan constantly made sure she was comfortable. But now they had another problem. Jennifer still needed surgery to fix her ankle.

"She's having the surgery tomorrow morning. I just hope she pulls through." Cal said. He was talking to Connie in her office. Even she was worried about the girl.  
"I understand. She's already been through so much. But she's a fighter." She told the nervous doctor.   
"Yeah, she is." He admitted.   
"What about her therapy? Is she talking yet?" Connie asked.  
"No, unfortunately. Nothing seems to be working. She just seems so overwhelmed in therapy."  
"She'll get used to it. It's only been a couple months. She still needs time. Like I said, it isn't just the selective mutism, she's also suffering from PTSD."  
"I know. I just want her to not be so scared of communication. I want her to tell me things, like if she's uncomfortable or sick or scared."

Cal spent the entire day worrying about his daughter. She was a fighter alright, but she was also vulnerable. She was abused and frightened of strangers. He just had to wait and see if she was going to be alright....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short chapter! I've been really busy, but I still wanted to throw something out there for you guys!


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! I've had some issues with internet and other household problems!

Cal and Ethan brought Jennifer into the hospital. It was the big day. Jennifer was going to have surgery to fix her ankle.

"Well, the X ray shows that the ankle was broken, but because it was never treated, it healed incorrectly, which is why it is still very painful and crooked. But we will fix it." Dr. Self explained.  
Cal and Ethan didn't need explaining though. They dealt with stuff like this all the time. It was their job after all. 

"How long will this take?" Ethan asked.  
"About 2 hours, we will need to cut the bone and put it back in the proper position and put pins in to hold it in place."  
"What about recovery?" Cal asked.  
"She will need to stay overnight, just to keep an eye on the swelling. Since she can't exactly tell us if something hurts or is uncomfortable. But she'll be able to go home tomorrow afternoon. She will need to rest for 2 weeks before trying to put weight on it, and then she can start physical therapy. After a few months, she'll be as good as new."

A few hours later, Jennifer was taken to theater. The brothers waited in the waiting room of the ward, anxious and scared. Then Connie walked by.  
"Connie? What are you doing here? "Ethan asked.  
The female doctor smiled. "I was just checking on how you were doing. How much longer will she be?"  
"She's been in there for about 2 hours, so she should be almost done."  
Just then, Dr. Self walked out with a nurse. He smiled and said "Everything went well. She'll be taken to the ward shortly."  
"Thanks, I really appreciate it. " Cal said. He shook the surgeon's hand.

Once Jennifer was in the recovery room, the 3 doctors walked insiee to see her. Cal noticed the huge bandage on her ankle. At least she was one step closer to having a happy healthy life.   
"She looks so peaceful." Ethan said. "Like she isn't scared at all."  
"Yeah, she does. I just hope she doesn't have any complications." Cal said.

About an hour later, Jennifer started to wake up. Cal noticed first.   
"Jennifer? Can you hear me? "He said, putting his hand on her shoulder.   
Jennifer slowly opened her eyes. She lazily looked around and started to panic.  
"It's alright, sweetie. We're here. You're ok." Connie said.  
"You had surgery, remember? Your ankle is all fixed. You're going to be just fine. " Ethan told her.  
Jennifer started relaxing. She wws still groggy and wasn't sure what was going on, but she knew Cal was there.

That night, Cal stayed beside her bed. They watched Netflix, and Cal read books to keep her entertained and relaxed.   
"Tomorrow will be a better day, I promise. We'll watch movies, eat popcorn and candy, we can play games. Anything you want."  
The two fell alseep. Ethan walked in to see the two sound asleep.   
"Cal? Wake up." Ethan said quietly, not to disturb Jennifer.   
"What's wrong? " Cal asked in the middle of a yawn.   
"You should go home, get some rest. You've had a long day."   
"What about Jennifer?"  
"I'll stay, don't worry. She'll be fine."


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the final chapter. This story is only the introduction of Jennifer, so keep a look out for more stories about her!

4 Months Later  
\--------------------------------

A few months after surgey, Jennifer was completely healed. Her ankle was not a hundred percent better, but there wasn't anything else they could do about it. She only had a slight limp after all. She was much more comfortable around people, especially Cal and Ethan. Cal treated her like she was his actual daughter. Just like he treated Matilda. 

The only thing that hadn't changed was her speech. She suffered major physical and emotional trauma, resulting in PTSD. That, combined with Selective Mutism, was very difficult to treat. Cal just decided that if she isn't comfortable talking, nobody should force her to try. She had been in therapy for a while, but nothing had changed. 

Cal also decided that she would be home-schooled. A public school would be too much for her to handle, and she could spend even more time with her new dad. And since Cal worked nearly every day, she got to go with him and stay in the staff room to do her work.

All of the doctors and nurses loved her. They always made sure she was comfortable. While she was still somewhat nervous around them, she found it easier and easier to relax near everyone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment on what you want me to write about! I only write Casualty, so keep away from other fandoms.  
> What should happen to Jennifer next? Comment below, and I may just choose your ideas!


End file.
